"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." - Ernest Hemingway

Monday, November 25, 2013

French cuisine

I have come to the conclusion that those who say they "don't really care for French food" are picky eaters. I, on the other hand, am willing to try new foods and I view that as an important way to learn about the foreign culture.

Yes, all cooked meat here is still pink and eggs are also undercooked by American standards, but it is not killing all the French people who regularly eat them that way. So why not?

And how could you not love French food, which is viewed as both a study and an art?

Gelato

Crêperie

Nutella and banana crêpe

Ham and egg crêpe

Fresh seafood on the Mediterranean in Collioure, France

Croque-madame

A croque-monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and a croque-madame is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top.

Sandwiches, quiches, pastries

Pain au chocolat

Cheese and sausage

Meringues

Vin chaud (hot wine)

Fresh salad at Nos Ancêtres les Gaulois restaurant

Nos Ancêtres les Gaulois

Fresh fish at the Sunday market

Olives

French and Italian grapes

Chocolate, banana, and coconut crêpe

Sausage and mushroom galette, and chocolat à l'ancienne at a restaurant in Chantilly, France

Chocolat à l'ancienne is a hot chocolate drink with the chocolate and steamed milk served separately.

Chocolate mousse, crème brûlée

Café gourmand

Café gourmand is a dessert option. Coffee is often ordered after a meal in France, and this option comes with several desserts on the side.

Macarons at Ladurée

Apple tart with ice cream

Chicken burger with blue cheese

Pot de crème caramel for breakfast

Baked apple and baguette dessert

Apples from the Bretagne region of France

Gaufres in Brussels, Belgium

Chocolate barks in Brussels, Belgium

Belgium is known for its chocolate as well, and the streets of Brussels are lined with chocolate shops.

Moules frites in Brussels, Belgium

Mussels and fries are another specialty of Belgium. French fries actually originated in Belgium, and you can buy them at stands along the streets just like waffles and crêpes. Belgian legend says American soldiers stationed there during World War I heard the Belgians speaking French, which was the official language, and thus gave credit to the wrong country.

Demonstration at Choco-Story chocolate museum in Paris, France

Cidre in Normandy

Cider is a specialty of the Bretagne region, where there is an abundance of apples. There are two types of this sparkling, alcoholic drink: sweet and dry.

Crêpe with apple, vanilla ice cream, and Chantilly whipped cream

Apple crêpe with flaming liquor

Caramelized banana crêpe

Apple and caramel crêpes at Mont Saint Michel

Mushroom, ham, and egg galette

A galette is a buckwheat dinner crêpe. Crêpes and galettes are also specialties of the Bretagne region, and during my weekend there, I tried seven different ones, having a crêpe at each meal.

Tacos at El Guacamole restaurant

We even found a good taco bar in Paris. We recently went there for Sadie's birthday, as she is from Texas and has been missing her tacos.